- The first decision you have to make is whether to come up with a specific idea or one that is generic to the decade. The 1950s, like all decades, was dominated by certain ideas of dress and fashion. At the same time, the decade also produced certain iconic characters and celebrities. A 1950s costume can reflect either the overall tone of the decade or a very specific and singular person.
- The 1950s produced certain figures that can be duplicated in children's costumes but are perhaps not age appropriate. For instance, Marilyn Monroe, the iconic figure of a certain kind of sex-symbol look of the decade, but parents may not want to see their 10-year-old daughter dressed up in that way. Elvis Presley represents the spirit of 1950s rebellion, but some parents may want to shy away from him as a costume idea based on later information about his drug abuse and obesity.
- The 1950s generated several generic costume ideas. For instance, girls can wear poodle skirts and white ankle socks and black-and-white shoes. A generic idea for boys would be a black leather jacket, blue jeans and hair done in a duck tail to represent the stereotypical greaser. The image of the black-frame-eyeglass-wearing, white-shirted nerd also springs from the 1950s. Old-time Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants baseball uniforms represent the period just before those teams moved to California.
- The 1950s also gave us a wealth of famous figures both real and fictional. In addition to the aforementioned Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley, ideas for a kid's costume could include Lucille Ball and James Dean, two characters who were wildly popular in the 1950s and make for a good costume project. Davy Crockett and his coonskin cap and fringed suede outfit were actually worn by millions of kids. The marionette Howdy Doody offers the kid a chance to wear a great costume and the parent to participate by taking on the role of Buffalo Bob, Howdy's sidekick.
previous post